My parents like telling the story of how I started reading at a very young age. To them, it was me reaching a benchmark early. For me, it was how I interacted with the world. I loved stories, I view life through stories, whether it be mine or other peoples. I started consuming stories as much as I could, and that part of my life never changed. Soon, comics and cartoons turns into novels and movies. But what I started to realized was that as much I loved getting lost in these worlds, I'd never be able to truly experience it because they weren't mine. They were the authors', and the only way I could have that feeling was if I became an author too.
When I was in third grade, I decided to write a book and publish it by the end of the year. Stupid, and it didn't happen, but I never let go of that dream. By the time I got to high school, I started working on my book series full-time. The Aaron Aarrowwood series became my pride and joy. I was finally able to publish the first book in my series in November of 2023, and the other 5 books in the series are drafted on my computer. To be honest, I don't know if I'll publish the rest of the books, but over the years, it feels like I've grown up with Aaron, and when I finished the series, it was like I was saying goodbye to a childhood friend. We'll see if I should share that with the world.
Through my book, I've been able to explore other opportunities the community offered. Whether it be putting up promotional flyers across town, getting the chance to talk to local elementary and middle schools, or participating in my local Wenham Museum's book fair, based on the traditional Icelandic Book Floods. These events have been good opportunities to enhance my public speaking and sales skills.